Xaysomboun Authorities Bust Illegal Gold Mining Operation

This Week

On 8 June, authorities in Xaysomboun Province shut down an illegal gold mining operation, seizing heavy equipment and detaining seven people,  including a Chinese company president, in the latest enforcement action against persistent illegal mining in the province.

Officers raided a stone and sand processing plant in Nam Mo village, Anouvong district, where the Kesana Herchalern company was extracting alluvial gold along the Nam Mo river without a mineral permit, causing what officials described as serious environmental damage.

Authorities seized two excavators, two trucks, and related equipment. They arrested seven individuals, the company’s Chinese president and six Lao laborers, and transferred them to Xaysomboun Provincial authorities, where they remain in temporary custody as legal proceedings move forward.

Days earlier on 5 June, authorities in Thathom district destroyed gold panning sieves seized in previous crackdowns on unregulated mineral extraction.

The enforcement actions follow a broader tragedy linked to illegal mining in the area. 

On 20 May, flash floods trapped seven men inside a cave in Longchaeng district. Rescue teams extracted five survivors between 29 and 30 May, but two remain missing. Teams suspended rescue operations on 6 June after detecting signs of a possible collapse at the cave entrance, leaving emergency supplies inside in case the missing men were still alive.

The cluster of incidents has cast a harsh light on illegal gold mining operations still active across Xaysomboun Province and beyond.

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